FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

This early injury report will provide in-depth injury information on key fantasy players that suffered injuries in the previous weekend's games. All player injuries will be tracked during the week via our Mid-Week Practice & Injury Report which is published on Thursdays and updated on Fridays. Be sure you check out our Priority News often during the week as all breaking player news will be posted there.

QUARTERBACKS

Jason Campbell, OAK - Sprained Wrist / Stinger

According to reports Raiders’ QB Jason Campbell has recovered from his injuries and the team expects him to start on Sunday against the Titans. In an interview last week Campbell guaranteed that he would be in the starting lineup in Week 1. He said he wasn’t allowed to talk about his injuries, however he has been throwing passes in practice for over a week now and his wrist and shoulder appear to be fine.

Brett Favre, MIN - Arthroscopic Ankle Surgery

Vikings’ QB Brett Favre will start on Thursday night against the Saints, however his surgically repaired ankle is not 100% and he will have to play at less than full strength for the entire season. According to reports Favre had hyaluronan (a lubricating fluid) injected into his ankle about a week ago. These types of injections are typically given to individuals suffering from pain and discomfort related to arthritis and they can help alleviate arthritis symptoms for up to 6 months. Hopefully this injection will limit the soreness in his ankle and allow him to have another productive year. At the very least it has allowed him to practice in full this week and it looks like he will be ready for the Saints.

Josh Freeman, TB - Fractured Thumb

Bucs’ QB Josh Freeman took part in live drills in practice on Tuesday for the first time since breaking the tip of his right (throwing) thumb on August 21 and by all accounts things went well. Freeman, who plans on playing this weekend against the Browns, told reporters that he would like to play without a splint on his thumb or glove on his hand and that he will use the next couple of practices to see what his limitations are. He probably won’t be 100% for at least another 2 weeks, however it appears that he is healthy enough to start.

Byron Leftwich, PIT - Sprained MCL

Steelers’ QB Byron Leftwich has been diagnosed with a grade 2 (partial tear) medial collateral sprain and the team does not expect him to play in Week 1. Leftwich, who was hurt in the team’s preseason finale, has seen at least one orthopedic specialist and according to reports the injury will not require surgery. In fact there is a chance that he will be back in time for the Steelers’ Week 2 game. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Leftwich is currently listed as “doubtful and not “out,” but he will not play on Sunday. Dennis Dixon gets the start in his place and Charlie Batch will be his backup.

Donovan McNabb, WAS - Sprained Ankle

Redskins’ QB Donovan McNabb, who has been recovering from a sprained ankle, made his return to practice on Monday and according to reports he has confirmed that he will start on Sunday against the Cowboys. McNabb reportedly looked comfortable moving around on his ankle in practice. He isn’t 100% and he’ll likely have to deal with soreness in the joint for the next couple of weeks, but team officials don’t expect it to be a major problem.

RUNNING BACKS

Michael Bush, OAK - Fractured Thumb

Raiders’ RB Michael Bush could be returning quicker than many expected. Bush, who was supposed to miss at least 4 weeks, took part in portions of practice on Monday wearing a small wrap and splint over his fractured thumb and according to reports the team is considering playing him against the Titans on Sunday. The team will evaluate him in practice this week and a decision on his availability probably won’t come until game day, but even if he is active look for Darren McFadden to start and get a bulk of the carries.

Montario Hardesty, CLE - Torn ACL

Browns’ rookie RB Montario Hardesty will miss the entire 2010 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during last week’s preseason game. Hardesty is scheduled to have the knee surgically repaired as soon as the swelling subsides. If the surgery and his recovery go as planned he should be back in time for the team’s off-season conditioning program. The Browns have placed him on injured reserve.

Fred Jackson, BUF - Fractured Hand

Bills’ head coach Chan Gailey indicated on Tuesday that RB Fred Jackson might play on Sunday against the Dolphins. However Gailey said that even if he is active his playing time will be limited. Jackson’s hand is still about 2 weeks away from being completely healed so he has been practicing with a protective pad and wrap. He admitted that the extra padding has made it difficult for him to carry and catch the ball, unfortunately the only way he can play this weekend is if his hand is properly protected. Rookie C.J. Spiller and Marshawn Lynch will get a majority of the carries in Week 1 and since Jackson isn’t 100 % and not expected to contribute a lot on offense don’t be surprised if the Bills decide to deactivate him.

Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX - Torn Knee Cartilage

Jaguars’ RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who tore cartilage (meniscus) in his knee during the preseason, returned to practice on Monday and although he was limited the team still expects him to start on Sunday. Team officials insist that MJD’s knee is not serious, however he is not 100% and without surgery he will have to work with the medical staff throughout the season to control the swelling and limit discomfort. So he might start off OK, but don’t be surprised if his knee becomes an issue during the second half of the season.

Knowshon Moreno, DEN - Partially Torn Hamstring

Broncos’ RB Knowshon Moreno, who missed most of training camp and the preseason because of a partial tear in his hamstring, will probably be active for the game against the Jaguars on Sunday. However the team has not said how much he will play. Moreno is still at least a week away from being completely healthy and as such he will likely be limited in practice this week. We should know more about his status as we head into the weekend.

Clinton Portis, WAS - Sprained Ankle

Redskins’ RB Clinton Portis returned to practice last week after suffering a mild ankle sprain during the team’s third preseason game and although he was held out of the preseason finale head coach Mike Shanahan expects him to start in Week 1. Portis is back to full strength, however don’t be surprised if he splits carries with Larry Johnson who impressed the coaching staff during training camp.

Steve Slaton, HOU - Acute Turf Toe

Texans’ RB Steve Slaton recently missed several practices because of acute turf toe. However his toe has shown signs of improvements and team officials expect him to be active on Sunday against the Colts. Slaton, who sprained a ligament in his toe during the team’s third preseason game, was fitted for a walking boot and missed the team’s final preseason game as a result. But it appears that his toe is feeling a lot better and he will be the number 2 RB behind Arian Foster this upcoming weekend.

Beanie Wells, ARI - Bruised Knee

According to reports Cardinals’ RB Beanie Wells was not seriously injured last week in the team’s preseason finale and team officials believe that he will play this weekend against the Rams. Wells suffered what appears to be a bruise and while he isn’t 100% yet the injury did not require an MRI and head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that if he continues to improve he should be active on Sunday. Tim Hightower has been named the starter for Week 1, but an active Wells will probably have an even share of the carries.

LenDale White, DEN - Ruptured Achilles’ Tendon

Broncos’ RB LenDale White has been placed on Injured Reserve and he will miss the entire 2010 season after rupturing the Achilles’ tendon in his right leg during the team’s pre-season finale last week. White has already undergone surgery to repair the damage and according to reports he should be ready in time for training camp next year.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Dez Bryant, DAL - High Ankle Sprain

Cowboys’ rookie WR Dez Bryant has completely recovered from a high ankle sprain and he will play on Sunday against the Redskins. Bryant took part in all drills on Monday and Tuesday and according to reports he looked comfortable especially during kickoff and punt returns. He missed a lot of practice time because of the injury so he is still getting readjusted to the speed of the game, however he will still get a lot of playing time this weekend as the Cowboys plan on using him as the third receiver in their three-receiver sets.

Marques Colston, NO - Bruised Kidney

Saints’ WR Marques Colston, who suffered a bruised kidney when he was hit hard during the team’s preseason finale, practiced in full on Monday and Tuesday and it appears he will be ready for Thursday night’s game. Colston told reporters that he was feeling fine and that he expects to be 100% when he faces the Vikings tomorrow.

Julian Edelman, NE - Sprained Ankle

Patriots’ WR Julian Edelman is questionable for Week because of a sprained ankle and a decision on his availability won’t be made until game day. Edelman reportedly sprained his ankle during the team’s second preseason game and he hasn’t practiced or played since. We’ll know more about his status later in the week so check with us on Friday for an update.

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI - Sprained MCL

Cardinals’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt has indicated that WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the starting lineup on Sunday against the Rams. Fitzgerald has spent the last several weeks recovering from a sprained MCL in his knee and according to reports he is very close to full strength. He will likely be limited in practice this week and since he has fallen a bit behind in his conditioning he will spend a good portion of his practice time getting himself back into game-playing shape.

Percy Harvin, MIN - Migraines

Vikings’ WR Percy Harvin has missed portions of training camp and the preseason because of migraine problems. However Harvin has said that the migraines might be a thing of the past as doctors have apparently identified what was causing them and they are now treating him for it. Harvin hasn’t suffered a migraine in over two weeks and after being a full participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday it looks like he will be in the starting lineup on Thursday against the Saints.

Sidney Rice, MIN - Arthroscopic Hip Surgery

Vikings’ WR Sidney Rice will not play this weekend and he will miss the first 6 weeks of the regular season after being placed on the team’s reserve/PUP list. Rice, who is recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery, won‘t start running until sometime in October so there is a good chance that he won‘t be ready to play until sometime in November.

Roy Williams, DAL - Strained Hip Flexor and Lower Back

Cowboys’ WR Roy Williams, who has been bothered by strained hip flexor and lower back, returned to practice on Monday and according to owner Jerry Jones he will be in the starting lineup on Sunday. Williams has said on a number of occasions that he is finally on the same page with Tony Romo and that he expects to have a productive year. That’s going to be tough considering he is entering this season as Romo’s third option behind Miles Austin and Jason Witten and he could end up as the fourth option if rookie Dez Bryant gets off to a fast start.

TIGHT ENDS

Dallas Clark, IND - Strained Leg

Colts’ TE Dallas Clark, who did not play in a game during the preseason because of a strained leg muscle, returned to practice over a week ago and according to reports he will be starting on Sunday against the Texans. Clark told reporters last week that his leg was a lot better and that it shouldn’t be an issue during the regular season.

Owen Daniels, HOU - Torn ACL

Texans’ TE Owen Daniels has been cleared for contact and he will be in the starting lineup this weekend against the Colts. Daniels, who spent the entire off-season and a portion of training camp recovering from ACL surgery, is still about 2 or 3 months away from being back to full speed so there is a good chance that he will be inconsistent to start the season.